Butternut Squash Yogurt Soup

Speedy preparation if you have butternut squash purée left over. Otherwise, you will need to allot a little more prep time in order to cook and purée the squash.

The proportions are based on what I was using up, but can easily be increased if making for more than one person.

Ingredients & Process

1 cup butternut squash purée
1/2 c plain yogurt (use non-fat or low-fat to make a creamy yet healthy soup!)
Seasonings- salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, brown sugar

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Whisk to combine, and heat to desired temperature. Add water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Season to taste. I used about 1/2 tsp salt, a dash of onion and garlic powder, a sprinkle of black pepper, and a generous pinch of brown sugar.

French Bread

Freshly baked bread. Enough said :)

I used my mom's French bread recipe. One batch I shaped as per instructions for a loaf of French bread. The other I put in a bread pan. Both turned out well.

Recipe & Process

2 1/2-3 cups flour (I used a combination of all purpose flour and oat flour. I added a spoon of wheat gluten too, which is optional)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs butter *can substitute coconut oil for vegan version
1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 Tbs warm water

In a food processor with metal blade, place 2 cups flour, salt, sugar, butter, and yeast. Run machine until butter is cut in. Add half of the water. Turn processor on and off 4 times. Add remaining flour and water. Repeat pulsing, then run until dough ball forms. Let run 40-60 seconds to knead. Knead lightly on a board. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rest for 20 minutes. Roll dough 15x10 inches. Roll tightly into a 15 inch loaf. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush dough with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise 45 min-1hour and bake at 425 for 25 minutes. *I left out the last part of this recipe for an eggless version, but if desired you can beat an egg while and 1 Tbs water, brush it on the loaf after 20 minutes baking time and then bake for 5-10 more minutes. This will give it a nice golden brown, crusty finish. I just drizzled a little coconut oil instead of brushing with the egg white. It still turned out delicious!

Vegetarian Taco Filling

These are some seriously delicious tacos!

Lunches in our home are always rice and vegetable curry. However, our dinner menu varies. Dinner may be Indian food-with a North Indian flare of paneer and naan-or it may be Italian, Mexican, Slovakian, etc.

For our taco dinner, I wanted to make the protein filling to be something other than beans. Beans are good, but slightly boring. And definitely predictable as far as taco fillings go. 

This recipe is far from boring. Mmm, this recipe has revolutionized our taco night! We may never go back to beans again!

Ingredients for filling (enough filling for 15 tacos)

3 portobello mushroom caps

1 small red onion

1 carrot

1 cup soy granules (Nutrella is the brand we find at the Indian grocers, it's also known as TVP-textured vegetable protein)

2 Tbs taco seasoning (*I looked up a recipe online to make my own)

1 handful walnuts

1 Tbs oil

Other ingredients

taco shells

various toppings (suggestions) tomatoes, lettuce, green onions, cilantro, jalepeno peppers, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, salsa

Process

 Put soy granules in a bowl and cover with water. Microwave for 90 seconds and allow to soak while you prep the rest of the filling ingredients (5-10 min)

 Wash the veggies. Cut the mushrooms and onion in quarters, peel and quarter the carrot as well. Toss these veggies in the food processor, add the walnuts, and process until finely minced.

 Dump the mixture into a bowl. Drain the soy granules, rinse with cool water, and squeeze to remove excess water. (I have a fine mesh strainer that I use to do this.) Add drained soy granules to the mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. 

 Heat oil in a large skillet and add the mixture. Cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Place taco shells in an oven safe dish, fill with 2-3 Tbs of filling and heat according to instructions on package. Top with desired toppings, 

and prepare to eat the best bean-less vegetarian taco EVER! 

Balsamic Tomatoes & Black Olives Salad

There are so many salad varieties. The beautiful thing about salads is that they are very forgiving. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and measurements don't have to be perfect. You literally just toss it all together in a bowl and serve it.

For this salad, I combined

grape tomatoes
black olives
cubes of mozzarella cheese
green spring onions

Then I added a glug of balsamic vingear, a splash of water, a dusting of sugar, and a couple sprinkles of salt & pepper. (See how specific these measurements are??!!)

That's it! You can serve immediately, or allow to marinate in the vinegar for a little while. I actually made a small slice on each of the tomatoes and allowed the salad to sit  for about an hour to nicely marinate in the dressing.

*I was experimenting with how to cut these fancy green onions. I think this is what works. If someone knows a better way, please share.

-cut off the bottom white bulb and the greens on top so that you are left with about 3-4 inches
-cut lengthwise down about 3/4 of the way, starting from the top greens
-turn and cut 1-2 more times, like you are making an X or *
-place in a bowl of cold water and allow to sit for 20 minutes, or until the pieces begin to curl

Healthy Alfredo Sauce

I have my mother to thank for my love of good, wholesome, healthy food. I have to give her a lot of credit for being creative in the kitchen...preparing home cooked meals for us during my entire life...modeling healthy eating habits...introducing us to new foods...various cuisines...and ways to make good foods healthfully.

I LOVE fettuccine alfredo. This is my mom's version of a healthier, lower fat version. Still as creamy and satisfying.

Alfredo Sauce


Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
(Probably obvious, but I feel I should note to use skim/lower fat versions for the healthiest finished product)
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. If necessary add a small amount of skim milk or water to produce the desired consistency. Pour into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 min (plus or minus) to heat prior to serving.